CHCI-Altria Public Policy Fellow
Hometown: Berkeley, California
School: University of California, Riverside
Degree: B.A.in Public Policy
Placement 1: Center for Responsible Lending
Placement 2: U.S. House Committee on Financial Services
Jorge Rodriguez was born and raised in Berkeley, California, by Mexican immigrant parents. After being placed on academic probation and nearly being kicked out of community college, he decided to make his education a priority. While working as an after-school tutor/coach at various schools in low-income minority communities in Oakland, California, he discovered his passion for public service. He then transferred to the University of California Riverside to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and graduated with highest honors. Through his experiences working with marginalized communities in the Bay Area, interning with city and regional government entities and leaders in California, participating in the CORO Fellowship in Public Affairs, and joining The Greenlining Institute Summer Associate Program, Jorge has experienced the direct, tangible results policy can generate at the local level.
His passion for public service and desire to create social change has solidified his commitment to pursue a career in local government as an aspiring city administrator. As a CHCI Public Policy Fellow, Jorge hopes learn from a variety of leaders in government, strengthen his understanding of the development, implementation and evaluation of policy to create innovative and tailored solutions that effectively solve complex issues in communities across the nation.
Jorge hopes to continue to mentor and support youth from low income communities, create pathways to increase the exposure and access to valuable opportunities, and inspire them to become leaders to address the barriers that prevent socio-economic progress in their communities. After the fellowship, Jorge plans to pursue a joint Master in Public Administration and Juris Doctorate, and hopes to return to his community to design and implement policies that address the social, economic, and political inequalities to create social change.